---
title: "What Is 反宮馬, the Reversed Palace Horse Opening? · Xiangqi Master"
description: "反宮馬 develops a horse toward its own palace rather than out to screen the central soldier, trading some central control for a flexible structure."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/what-is-fan-gong-ma-the-reversed-palace-horse
updated: 2026-09-22
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# What is 反宮馬 (the Reversed Palace Horse)?

These answers restate the rules implemented by our open-source engine, which follows the WXF laws and is regression-tested against the official 110-diagram repetition casebook. Where an answer refers to a specific position, that position lives on the linked reference page, where the build verifies it against the engine before publishing.

> Direct answer
>
> **反宮馬** is a defensive system where a horse develops **toward its own palace** rather than out to screen the central soldier the way Screen Horses does. It gives up a little central presence in exchange for a very solid, hard-to-attack structure that can be played against several different first moves.

## Why give up the central defence

Screening the central soldier is the most natural response to a Central Cannon, but it is not the only sound one. 反宮馬 accepts a slightly quieter-looking horse in exchange for keeping the cannon and the other horse completely flexible, so the plan is decided later rather than committed to on move two.

## Who tends to play it

Players who dislike the sharp, well-mapped theory of [Screen Horses](https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/what-is-screen-horses) often prefer it, because fewer people have memorised deep replies to it. It is not weaker for that reason; it is simply less studied, which cuts both ways at the board.

## Related questions

Is 反宮馬 only for Black?

It is most common as a defence, but the same idea appears in some Red systems too.

Is it more passive than Screen Horses?

Structurally quieter early on, not passive overall. Both horses still reach useful squares within a few moves.

## Related xiangqi resources

Screen Horses

The main defence to the Central Cannon

Choosing an opening

How many you need, and which pair to learn

Xiangqi openings

The opening reference

## Try it on a real board

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